MEETING INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTFITNESS NEEDS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

MEETING INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORT/FITNESS NEEDS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN GPE/APE Ronald W. Davis, Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX Jeff Jones, Blaze. Sports America, Decatur, GA John Register, United States Olympic Committee, Colorado Springs, CO Gavin Cloy, Sweet Apple Elementary School, Roswell, GA

Purpose The purpose of this presentation is to learn how to address the sport and fitness needs for students with physical disabilities through coordinated sport programs in general/adapted classes, community club sports, elite level training programs Resources and professional development opportunities designed for general/adapted physical educators will be shared by discussion about texts community sport programs professional conferences dedicated to helping students with physical disabilities follow a traditional interscholastic and club sport model to success.

Your students can be OUR ATHLETES …

Spinal Cord Injured

Visual impairments

Cerebral Palsy Head Injured and Stroke survivors

Amputee

Les Autres French for “the others” MD, MS, OI, etc

Putting disability sport in your General Physical Education Program How did you enter into a sports program? How did you learn the rules, skills, and strategies for basketball, soccer, volleyball, or tennis? Through your school physical education program, right? So why shouldn’t that be the same place for students with disabilities to learn about sport? Who’s to benefit?

Everyone benefits: Students without disabilities can benefit from learning about sports played by students with disabilities by: Making your curriculum more comprehensive Broadening the perceptions of SW/OD related to sports Putting SWD and SW/OD on common ground of sports…think of the reactions if you can get SW/OD to learn the skills of WC basketball or what it would be like for a SWD to have his/her friends say to them “who won your game last night? ” or “I’ll be at your game tonight” Sport is Sport…. we should embrace the common ground it provides for learning and social interaction

Athletics

Athletics

Athletics

Basketball

Football (Soccer)

Tennis

Volleyball (sitting)

Look at the similarities Traditional Disability Sport Skills Basketball Wheelchair Basketball pass, dribble, shoot, retrieve, transition Soccer Wheelchair Indoor Soccer pass, dribble, shoot, block, retrieve Volleyball Sitting Volleyball pass, block, serve, rotation Tennis Wheelchair Tennis serve, forehand, backhand, volley

So how can it be delivered? Through planned ○ Curriculums Same – SWD & SWOD follow same curriculum Multi-level - same curriculum with slight modifications Modified – IEP goals aligned with curriculum goals; SWD and SWOD doing different activity for same goals Different – SWD unique needs not met in GPE ○ Use of various teaching styles Teacher centered Student centered ○ Use of various class formats 1 on 1 Small group Large group Mixed

Examples of similarities for teaching: Traditional Basketball Sport skills Basketball ○ Passing ○ Dribble ○ Shooting ○ Ball Movement Key Teaching points __________________

Similarities for teaching the same skill in wheelchair basketball Wheelchair Basketball Skills ○ Passing ○ Dribble ○ Shooting ○ Ball Movement Bounce Stop Bounce Spin Ball Retrieval Key Teaching points __________________

So why do it? Why try to put Disability Sport in your PE Curriculum? For the same reason as you do for traditional sport Promote fitness and address issues of obesity Promote a common ground for All children to communicate, socialize, and learn Because it’s the right thing to do Address the GAO report!

Findings from the GAO report on extracurricular activities for SWD After national interviews and survey results the GAO office stated: District and school officials cited a lack of information on ways to expand athletic opportunities, lack of clarity regarding schools’ responsibilities, and budget constraints as key challenges. Education has provided little information or guidance on PE or extracurricular athletics for SWD, and some states and districts said more would be useful. According to IDEA, sports should be a school responsibility for all children…

Additional Barriers Impacting SWDs Participation in Disability Sport A lack of: • Opportunity for inclusion • Organized programs • Trained professionals • Knowledge of coaching/training SWDs • Role models • Transportation

So who is doing it? Who has Disability Sport in the Schools? Five states in the United States have merged their high school interscholastic sport programs to include athletes with disabilities Florida* Georgia Illinois Kentucky* Maryland Minnesota Oregon *depicts emerging

So what resources are available for General Physical Educators? State manuals from those States with current programs Community based programs Blazesports Special Olympics AAASP Textbooks Teaching Disability Sport for PE Teachers

Resource Available for PE Teachers

Jeff Jones – Blazesports America Moving from Schools to Community and Clubs Sports

Moving from School to the Club Sport Programs Until disability sport is better established in the public schools, where does the student with a disability Learn about sport Participate in sport Compete in sport Community Programs like Blaze. Sports America Here is Jeff Jones to tell you about how you can get your student into sport competition beyond school competition

At Blaze. Sports America, our mission is… to advance the Lives of youth and adults with physical disability through sport and healthy lifestyles

Who We Serve Children and adults with physical disability who: have a spinal cord injury have an amputation have visual impairment or blindness have a neurological or mobility impairment (e. g. cerebral palsy or brain injury) Military recently disabled American soldiers in military hospitals and rehab facilities

Blaze. Sports America Offices Blaze. Sports America National Office Atlanta, Georgia Blaze. Sports America Office of Sport Policy and Advocacy Washington, DC

Why Blaze. Sports?

Opportunities Non Disabled Abundant opportunities exist in all local communities throughout America Recreation agencies, schools, churches and sports leagues assure that these opportunities abound Intellectual Disability Special Olympics provides an extensive network of both recreational and competitive sport for cognitively disabled

Sports Camps

Trail. Blazers Youth Leadership Training We cannot always build the future for our youth but we can build our youth for the future. Franklin D. Roosevelt

Weekly programs…

EQUIPMENT LOAN PROGRAM

Mr. John Register - USOC UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! The Road to the Paralympic Podium Therapeutic Recreation Symposium for Southwest Arkansas 2011 Spring Symposium/Conference March 18, 2011

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. Paralympics and the Paralympic Movement • Paralympic Games are the second largest sport event on Earth! • Only second to the Olympic games.

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. A Brief History of the Paralympic Movement Stoke-Mandeville Games First Paralympic Games in Rome International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Formed United States Olympic Committee forms U. S Paralympics 1948 1960 1989 2001

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. A Brief History of the Paralympic Movement Rome Paralympics Games 400 Athletes 23 Countries Only wheelchair athletes First Summer Games in Montreal 1600 Athletes 40 Countries 1960 1976 First Winter Games Paralympic Games in Sweden in Beijing Nordic and Alpine Sport 4200 Athletes 12 Countries 148 Countries 1976 2008

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. Support of the Paralympic Movement USOC Mission: Support U. S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes in achieving sustained competitive excellence and preserve the Olympic ideals and there by inspire all Americans.

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. Paralympic Sport Summer Sport Archery Basketball Boccia Canoeing/Kayaking Cycling to include hand cycling Equestrian Fencing Goalball Judo Powerlifting Rowing Rugby Sailing Shooting Soccer Swimming Table Tennis Track and Field Triathlon Volleyball Goalball Sit Volleyball Wheelchair Rugby

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. Paralympic Sport Winter Sport Alpine skiing Biathlon Curling Nordic skiing Sled hockey Curling Sled Hockey Biathlon

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. Paralympics vs. Special Olympics Similarities • Both focus on sport for athletes with disabilities. • Managed by international non-profit organizations. Differences • Special Olympics’ focuses on participation rather than • competition. • Paralympic Games is about elite competition; athletes must • meet qualification standards. • Paralympic name derives from “Para” Parallel Games to the Olympics.

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. Sport enhances rehabilitation!

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. Sport improves a disabled service member’s life because it: • • Improves self-esteem and performance in daily activities. Increases longevity and lean body mass. Reduces body fat and risk of metabolic diseases. Enhances rehabilitation. But sport also. . .

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. Sport improves a disabled service member’s life because it: • Identifies the individual by their abilities not their disabilities. • Helps individuals discover hope and healing through sport. • Opens opportunities to compete on their home courts or on an international stage. • Inspires the individual to keep pursuing their dreams.

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. Call to Action • Do you believe that Paralympic sport will enhance an individual with physical or visual impairments physical and mental well-being? • Do you believe that Paralympic sport will improve an individual with physical or visual impairments quality of life? • Do you know individuals with physical or visual impairments in your community? • Would you make a commitment to help U. S. Paralympics reach out to this individual to make a difference in their life?

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT! THE ROAD TO THE PARALYMPIC PODIUM. Call to Action Please take a few minutes to consider the following and make a commitment to individuals with physical and visual impairments and your community. Please complete the Call to Action!

Gavin Cloy, Sweet Apple Elementary School, Roswell, GA